Israeli troops killed Marwan Qawasmeh (29) and Amer Abu Eisheh (32) early this morning in Hebron. Qawasmeh and Abu Eisheh were both suspected of involvement in the kidnapping and killing of the three Israeli teens Yifrach, Shaer and Fraenkel earlier this year. The three youth were found dead near Hebron on 30 June. A third suspect, Hussam Kawasme (40), was arrested by Israeli forces in east-Jerusalem on 11 July and remains in custody.

Qawasmeh and Abu Eisheh were killed in a firefight, early Tuesday morning in Hebron, according to statements of the Israeli militant forces and security service. “We opened fire, they returned fire and they were killed in the exchange,” said Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner in a telephone briefing. He confirmed that one of the men was killed while the other was presumably killed. Hamas’ spokesperson Hussam Barduam confirmed both deaths, as did Hebron governor Kamel Hmeid.

In addition to the killing, Hussam Qawasmeh’s three sons Bashar, Mahmed and Taar Qawasmeh were detained. Locals told Al Jazeera that the Israeli military surrounded Hebron University and blew up several buildings’ main entrances. Photos from the scene, presented by the Israeli military, show smoke billowing out of a building and Israeli jeeps and bulldozers at the scene.

The killing of the two men marks the end of Israel’s 'Operation Brother’s Keeper,’ which started on 13 June to find those responsible for the abduction of the three Israeli teenagers. The operation was characterized by Israeli military troops sweeping the West Bank area while arresting over 500 of residents allegedly linked to Hamas.

During the three-month operation, the family houses of Hussam Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Eisheh were destroyed as a blatant retaliation attack. In addition, the family home of Marwan Qawasmeh was sealed up and left inaccessible. B’Tselem called the actions “fundamentally unacceptable and unproven to be effective,” adding that it specifically harmed innocent people. In total, 23 persons, of which 13 were minors, were left homeless.

The demolition also sparked debate on unequal treatment, as Israeli authorities left the houses of the three Israeli suspects involved in the retaliatory murder of 16-year-old Mohammad Abu Khdeir intact. Abu Khdeir was found dead in Jerusalem one day after the three Israeli boys were laid to rest.

Peace talks ahead

The killing comes as new negotiations between Palestinian officials and Israeli delegates are set to take place in Cairo today. The indirect talks will cover easing the blockade on the Gaza Strip and will continue after the upcoming Jewish and Muslim holidays of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha, according to Al Jazeera.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced yesterday during a lecture in New York that he would propose “a new timetable for peace talks,” which is meant to “delineate the borders of each country.” He is expected to present the plan, which calls for an end to the Israeli occupation within three years, to the United Nations General Assembly on 26 September.